Truth In The Lies
by SingleDarkShade
Summary: The Legends have won against Mallas but Sara has one more thing to do. Something the others won't be happy about but they don't know the full story.
1. Chapter 1

Sara let out a long sigh of relief.

It was over and they'd all survived, although Ray and Amaya were injured and were currently in the medical bay.

"I can't believe we won," Jax sighed from his spot on the floor, "I vote we go home and do nothing for the next month."

"Sounds great," Mick said while Nate and Zari nodded in agreement.

"Not yet," Sara told him standing and stretching her back, "We have one more thing to do."

"Which is?"

Sara knew this was something they weren't going to be happy about but none of them had the full story, "We need to get Rip."

"Rip?" Nate demanded incredulously, "The guy who treated us like dirt, betrayed us and then told Darhk how to get onto the ship?"

Jax stood joining them, "Yeah, it's a good thing you had an override code for Gideon to stop him."

"And where do you think I got that?" Sara frowned at them, "I'm Captain. It's my decision."

She headed to her study and found the Time Courier Mick had lifted from Rip the day they stole the Waverider, still annoyed Rip had won that bet. Attaching it to her wrist she tapped the controls.

"Come on," she murmured, "Please work, please work the way it was meant to," Sara let out a quiet cry of triumph when she got a signal and opened a portal, "Nate, Mick, let's go."

The two men both looked annoyed but followed her through the portal into a darkened room. Sara hit her flashlight on and found the man they were here to find in a heap on the floor; tossing the flashlight to Nate she dropped down praying that she found a pulse. He was covered in blood and bruises marred his pale skin, she could hear a slight rasp to his breathing and, from his thinner than normal frame, she could tell there were a lot of broken bones. The man gave a slight moan and Sara thanked whatever deity there might be she had got to him in time.

"Rip," she called, "Rip, can you hear me?"

"Sara?" he forced out so quiet she had to strain to hear him.

She smiled slightly, "It's me."

"Is it over?" Rip murmured, "Did we win?"

Sara gently squeezed his hand, "It is and we won."

* * *

 _Sara opened the door to her crappy apartment hating it, her hideous job and the fact she had to buy groceries again. Kicking the door shut she stalled seeing the man leaning against the table waiting for her clean shaven in his dreadful blue suit._

" _Get out," she stated sharply._

 _Rip pushed off the table and held up his hands, "I just need to talk to you. Preferably without weapons."_

 _Sara dropped her bags, "No promises."_

 _Rip let out a soft sigh of relief asking, "Can I sit or..."_

" _Stand so you can leave," Sara told him when he trailed off, "And talk fast."_

" _I'm sorry," Rip stated, "About what happened when we met up again but I had a very good reason for everything I did and said."_

 _Sara headed into the kitchen, made herself coffee making Rip some tea while he continued._

" _When I left the Waverider, I wanted to create an agency to take over from the Time Masters," Rip explained, "I intended for you and the others to join in the hopes you would train agents as well as go on missions. But then I discovered that we had been infiltrated by a creature called Mallas. He is dangerous to the entirety of time."_

" _What does that have to do with you acting like a total and complete ass then disbanding the team?" Sara demanded._

 _Rip let out a sigh taking the tea she handed him, "Because the Legends are the only ones who have a chance of stopping him as long as he doesn't know you're coming for him."_

 _x_

" _Whoever Mallas has in the Bureau, and I'm not sure who it is or if there is more than one," Rip frowned, "They can read minds. So, I have no way to recruit anyone to help me if I tell them what's actually going on."_

 _Sara frowned confused, "Won't they know you're talking to me?"_

" _Thanks to John Constantine my mind can't be read," Rip shrugged, "Fortunately that was a favour he owed me."_

" _What about me?"_

" _Because you died and were resurrected," Rip explained, "Your mind is closed. I checked."_

 _Sara drank her coffee leaning back for a second as she studied him, suddenly realising how tired he looked._

" _So, what's the plan?" Sara asked._

 _Relief covered his face and he started to explain everything he already had in mind. Sara every so often making changes and they talked for most of the night planning everything they could._

" _What about Gideon?" Sara asked finally, "You and I both know she isn't going to let us take her without you and if I have to do anything against your well-being or that will take you away..."_

" _Which is why I have reprogrammed her and she is currently off," Rip explained with a slightly guilty grimace, "Until I provide the override code she will only be able to recognise my presence when I speak directly to her. That way she will continue with you as Captain."_

 _Sara frowned slightly, "Are you okay sending her away?"_

" _I've had to spend five years without her keeping me in line," Rip replied with a sad shrug, "I can manage until this is finished."_

" _What if this doesn't work the way we hope?" Sara asked._

 _Rip shrugged, "I know you'll do what you have to."_

* * *

Rip moaned in pain as Nate and Mick helped him off the floor and through the portal back onto the Waverider before he seemed to slip into unconsciousness. They took him to the medical bay and rested him on the chair where Sara snapped the cuff onto his wrist while the rest of the crew watched.

"Gideon," Nate said when nothing happened, "Why are you not doing your scans?"

"There are currently no patients," Gideon replied.

Sara grimaced, "Damn. Rip," she called, shaking him slightly to get him back to semi-consciousness, "Rip, you need to give your override code for Gideon to recognise you're here."

"What?" he murmured.

"You need Gideon and she can't help you until you remove the block," Sara reminded him.

Rip moaned again, "Gideon, Obsidian."

"Captain Hunter," Gideon stated, starting the scans and pushing painkillers into him, "Just relax, I have you."

"Missed you," Rip murmured before he slipped into unconsciousness once more with a happy sigh.

Sara turned to the others who were watching in astonishment, "I take it you all want an explanation."

Several heads nodded as Gideon stated, "Yes."

Sara grimaced and took a deep breath, "Basically..."

* * *

Author's Note: Not sure where this came from but I was thinking that basically this is probably the only way Rip could come back to the team


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I never intended to write a second chapter to this but somehow ended up doing so.  
Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Sitting on the bridge, Rip stared out at the swirling colours of the time stream enjoying the peace and being at home at last.

"You reprogrammed me to ignore you?" the quiet was shattered by Gideon's angry voice.

Rip sighed. He knew she'd be upset with him. Turning he saw the human form of his best friend standing before him. Her arms folded while she frowned at him.

"I'm guessing I'm sedated just now," Rip said, mostly to avoid answering her question but also because he was curious.

"Your injuries mean it is safer to heal you this way," Gideon replied sharply, "Your wellbeing overrules your aversion to sedation."

Rip grimaced at her reply, "I am sorry, Gideon. I'm sorry that I had to make you ignore me but it was necessary."

"Necessary to make sure that I could not recognise your presence?" she demanded, "If Miss Lance had not managed to rouse you to remove the override you would have died."

Rip caught the lack of title for Sara, at least he wasn't the only one in Gideon's bad graces, "I know."

"Do you not trust me?" she asked sadly.

Rip moved and rested his hands on her arms, "You know I trust you more than anyone," he tilted her head up so their eyes locked, "But tell me honestly if you had known the truth when Sara 'sold me out' to the Bureau, knowing I could possibly end up in my current condition. Would you have allowed me to be taken?"

Gideon dropped her eyes from his and Rip smiled slightly before wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug, "That's why I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to have to make that choice."

"Captain, you could have died," Gideon whispered.

He sighed softly, "I know but I'm safe, I'm here and I promise I will never re-programme you to ignore me again."

"I will hold you to that," Gideon told him making Rip chuckle slightly; "It will take some time to heal you fully. You will be under my care for at least a week."

Rip shrugged, "I'm always under your care."

* * *

Sara carried her coffee back into the medical bay taking over from Ray at Rip's bedside. The others had not been happy when Sara revealed that she and Rip had been working together and lying to the team for nearly a year. Thankfully, once they were given the reasons, they understood why they were kept in the dark. Although Gideon kept referring to her as Miss Lance meaning she was definitely not happy at the moment.

A moan coming from the patient made her turn to him, "Rip? Rip, can you hear me?"

"Sara," he murmured, his eyes opening slowly to look at her.

She smiled down at him, "How're you feeling?"

"Like I was bounced off a wall several times," he sighed.

"Well, Gideon says you'll be fine," Sara told him, "But will have to remain in here for about a week."

"She told me," Rip replied softly, his eyes closing.

Sara frowned confused but since he was unconscious again she didn't get a chance to ask.

"Gideon," she called, "Let me know once he's awake again."

"Of course, Miss Lance," Gideon replied.

Sara sighed, "And I am really, really sorry I lied to you."

x

Rip was sitting eating a bowl of soup when Sara walked in to the medical bay, it had been three days since they'd rescued him and he'd spent most of his time unconscious while Gideon healed the injuries he'd received from Darhk.

"Please tell me you brought me some tea?" Rip begged when she placed a mug on the table before sitting next to him.

"Sorry," Sara shrugged, "Gideon has said you're only allowed water or milk at the moment. And I am not getting on her bad side just now."

Rip nodded in understanding, "I know the feeling."

"You are a complete lunatic," Sara told him suddenly, "Putting yourself in that situation. You could have died, Rip. If we had been any later you would have."

Rubbing his eyes Rip sighed, "I had no other choice, Sara. You know that. It was the only plan we had. I couldn't just give Darhk the information or he wouldn't believe it. He needed to think he'd broken me."

"How's the patient?" Ray interrupted them walking in with a bowl in his hand.

Rip frowned, "Do I want to know what that is?"

"Gideon special for dessert," Ray said placing it on the tray, revealing the bland rice pudding.

"You are to eat all of it," Gideon stated, "It has the nutrients you require."

Glancing upwards Rip sighed, "Could you not make it something appetising?"

"No."

At the short reply Rip sighed again getting a sympathetic look from Sara.

"Gideon, you've made your point," Rip stated, "You cannot remain angry with me indefinitely."

The silent reply he received made him groan so he began to eat the bland offering to appease her.

* * *

Sara placed the mug of tea on the table in front of Rip who had finally been released from the med-bay that morning with orders to take things easy.

"Alright," she stated as everyone gathered in the galley, "You all have questions about what happened and, now Rip is conscious for more than an hour at a time, we will answer them."

Taking a seat with her coffee Sara waited as they all looked at one another deciding who would start.

"You said you got the security badge from an agent you met in a bar and took it the next morning," Ray started, "Did you two..."

Rip and Sara gave him a disgusted look.

"I gave her it," Rip noted before rolling his eyes, "Did you really think my security would be that lax a missing pass would allow anyone access even an hour after it was lost? Ray, do you remember what I said to you after you lost the bit of your suit in the 1970s?"

Ray grimaced, "I suppose you're right."

"Not to mention how easy it was for us to steal the ship," Sara chuckled, "Among other things."

"You let me steal your stuff?" Mick demanded from his corner with a growl.

Rip shrugged, "I knew you would need it. Plus the tracker for me was on the Courier and Sara needed that."

They all nodded.

"You owe me for that," Rip reminded Sara.

Sara grimaced, "Yeah, fine. Thanks, Mick."

"So," Amaya said softly, "What now?"

Rip shrugged, "I'm not sure."

"We'll work it out," Sara smiled, she rested her hand on his shoulder, "Welcome home."


End file.
